Local Business

The new Amazon facility in Sidney is expected to open in early-to-mid October. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Amazon facility in Sidney expected to open this month

Contractor, as well as Amazon itself, continue to hire

The new Amazon facility in Sidney is expected to open in early-to-mid October. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Salt Legacy business partners Tisha Becker (left) and Meaghan McDonald with some of their backpacks made from sailcloth. (Courtesy of Salt Legacy)

Victoria’s Salt Legacy sews history, upcycling together with sailcloth product line

Backpacks look to tell the stories of the old sails while diverting waste

Salt Legacy business partners Tisha Becker (left) and Meaghan McDonald with some of their backpacks made from sailcloth. (Courtesy of Salt Legacy)
Summer beers brewed in Victoria benefit a variety of causes in B.C. and Alberta. (Vancouver Island Brewery/Facebook)

Victoria beer makers brew up charitable flavours

Beaches, salmon stocks and more benefit from breweries giving back

Summer beers brewed in Victoria benefit a variety of causes in B.C. and Alberta. (Vancouver Island Brewery/Facebook)
Laska Pare, founder and CEO of Flipside Plastics, with the Victoria company’s first soap dish model, made from coffee lids that were discarded at local cafes. (Courtesy of Flipside Plastics)

Global plastic waste leads to Victoria company’s upcycled soap dish

Flipside Plastics is gearing up to release its new and improved model this fall

Laska Pare, founder and CEO of Flipside Plastics, with the Victoria company’s first soap dish model, made from coffee lids that were discarded at local cafes. (Courtesy of Flipside Plastics)
The Victoria International Airport has been named the most efficient airport in North America in the under 5 million passengers category. (Black Press Media file photo)

Victoria airport named most efficient of its size in North America

The recognition comes from the 2022 Global Airport Performance Benchmarking Report

The Victoria International Airport has been named the most efficient airport in North America in the under 5 million passengers category. (Black Press Media file photo)
Recycled textiles that go into the production of Anian’s clothes. (Courtesy of Anian)

Victoria company goes circular with recycled, long-lasting clothing line

Anian transitioned to sourcing post-industrial and post-consumer textiles in 2018

Recycled textiles that go into the production of Anian’s clothes. (Courtesy of Anian)
Jared VanderMeer shares tips in creative photography while sharing iconic scenes of Victoria such as Fisherman’s Wharf. (Jared VanderMeer/Instagram)

Vancouver Island inspires North Saanich creator to go pro on TikTok

Jared VanderMeer hopes to hit 1M followers by month’s end

Jared VanderMeer shares tips in creative photography while sharing iconic scenes of Victoria such as Fisherman’s Wharf. (Jared VanderMeer/Instagram)
Sidney’s Boondocks Bar and Grill on Fifth Street has closed its doors. Owner Andrew Hansen cited expenses and staff shortages for the closure. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Sidney’s Boondocks Bar and Grill closes after 35 years

Owner Andrew Hansen cites staff shortages for closure

Sidney’s Boondocks Bar and Grill on Fifth Street has closed its doors. Owner Andrew Hansen cited expenses and staff shortages for the closure. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Long-time owner of Sassy’s Restaurant Cory Porter (second from right) and his daughter Jen Porter (right) watch during the closing ceremony for the restaurant Sunday afternoon. The restaurant closed after 43 years. (Courtesy of Shonie Cooper)

Central Saanich says goodbye to Sassy’s Restaurant

More than 100 people mark closure of famed family restaurant after 43 years

Long-time owner of Sassy’s Restaurant Cory Porter (second from right) and his daughter Jen Porter (right) watch during the closing ceremony for the restaurant Sunday afternoon. The restaurant closed after 43 years. (Courtesy of Shonie Cooper)
Fox & Monocle in North Saanich is among the top new restaurants in Canada, named by enRoute magazine, a few months after opening this spring. (Fox & Monocle/Facebook)

Spring startup in North Saanich makes top 30 list of Canadian new restaurants

Fresh-faced bakery/restaurant finds itself on the enRoute long list of best new restaurants

Fox & Monocle in North Saanich is among the top new restaurants in Canada, named by enRoute magazine, a few months after opening this spring. (Fox & Monocle/Facebook)
Erika Nelson, manager of manages Bosley’s By Pet Valu in Sidney, says she is proud of the way her business has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Several Saanich Peninsula entrepreneurs used COVID-19 as a pivot point

Long-established businesses proved resilient, even flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Erika Nelson, manager of manages Bosley’s By Pet Valu in Sidney, says she is proud of the way her business has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
From left: Maureen, Emily, Jamie, Daniel and Wayne Ralph. The Ralph family, including daughter Kirstie (not pictured), has worked together to create Victoria Cider Co. (Nicole Crescenzi)

Saanich Peninsula welcomes new family-run cidery

Victoria Cider Co. offers nine estate-grown ciders

  • Aug 20, 2022
From left: Maureen, Emily, Jamie, Daniel and Wayne Ralph. The Ralph family, including daughter Kirstie (not pictured), has worked together to create Victoria Cider Co. (Nicole Crescenzi)
Chrissy Olsen, second from left, says she is not sure yet what she will do after Sassy’s Restaurant closes this Saturday, but she will miss owner Cory Porter (left) as well as Barry McGarvy and Rich Nelson, who have also worked decades at the restaurant. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Staff says goodbye to Sassy’s Restaurant in Central Saanich

Chrissy Olsen will miss her colleagues and the Porters as the iconic restaurant closes this Saturday

Chrissy Olsen, second from left, says she is not sure yet what she will do after Sassy’s Restaurant closes this Saturday, but she will miss owner Cory Porter (left) as well as Barry McGarvy and Rich Nelson, who have also worked decades at the restaurant. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Saravanan “Sammy” Periyasamy, 45, takes a break from his work in Yumbrosia Fine Foods He and his family were set to reopen the business Monday (Aug. 15) after its closure last December following the sudden death of owner Ihsan Askar. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)

Yumbrosia reopening in Oak Bay after months of closure

Southern Indian family works to preserve late owner’s legacy and business model

Saravanan “Sammy” Periyasamy, 45, takes a break from his work in Yumbrosia Fine Foods He and his family were set to reopen the business Monday (Aug. 15) after its closure last December following the sudden death of owner Ihsan Askar. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)
Unbuilders removes the brick walls of a building on Fort Street in Victoria. (Katherine Engqvist/News Staff)

WATCH: Brick by brick, board by board, Fort Street building comes down in Victoria

Unbuilders deconstructs downtown Victoria site

Unbuilders removes the brick walls of a building on Fort Street in Victoria. (Katherine Engqvist/News Staff)
Victoria’s Magnolia Hotel and Spa was fifth on the list of Tripadvisor’s top-rated Canadian stays. (Courtesy of Magnolia Hotel and Spa)

Three Greater Victoria hotels make top-25 list of highest-rated Canadian stays

B.C. properties well represented on Tripadvisor’s top 25 hotels in Canada list

Victoria’s Magnolia Hotel and Spa was fifth on the list of Tripadvisor’s top-rated Canadian stays. (Courtesy of Magnolia Hotel and Spa)
Phen Ruyan, left, and husband Joel Bryan sit together inside Nohra Thai Kitchen in Oak Bay’s Estevan Village. Ruyan met Bryan, who grew up in Cadboro Bay, while both were working on Phuket in Thailand and moved back to Victoria with him in the late ’90s. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)

1,001 pad Thai: Passionate chef brings southern Thai cuisine to Greater Victoria

Phen Ruyan, who grew up with conflicting culinary influences, nurtures her own style

Phen Ruyan, left, and husband Joel Bryan sit together inside Nohra Thai Kitchen in Oak Bay’s Estevan Village. Ruyan met Bryan, who grew up in Cadboro Bay, while both were working on Phuket in Thailand and moved back to Victoria with him in the late ’90s. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)
There are many ways to network at Sooke Region Chamber of Commercde events. (File - Metro Creative)

CHAMBER CHATTER: Networking opportunities abound at chamber events

Business organization has impact on local community

  • Aug 3, 2022
There are many ways to network at Sooke Region Chamber of Commercde events. (File - Metro Creative)
Jimmy Pavlidis of Jimmy’s Barber Shop is pictured at his Fort Street business. Pavlidis is Greater Victoria’s longest serving barber and has maintained a ’50s style and inexpensive haircuts at his shop. (Photo contributed)

A trim for the ages: How local barbering has evolved over 50-plus years

5 Greater Victoria barbers share their unique approach to cutting hair

Jimmy Pavlidis of Jimmy’s Barber Shop is pictured at his Fort Street business. Pavlidis is Greater Victoria’s longest serving barber and has maintained a ’50s style and inexpensive haircuts at his shop. (Photo contributed)
Roberta Glennon stands in the men’s section of her Government Street shop, Roberta’s Hats. Glennon has run the business for 30 years since moving from Vancouver with her husband Brian in 1992. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)

Hats off to Victoria’s renowned hat store of 30 years

Roberta’s Hats continues to cap local industry with funky shopping experience

Roberta Glennon stands in the men’s section of her Government Street shop, Roberta’s Hats. Glennon has run the business for 30 years since moving from Vancouver with her husband Brian in 1992. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)